When individuals travel from one location to another by automobile or other vehicle, there is often a need for additional cargo space that cannot be found inside the vehicle. A standard solution to this problem has been a car-top carrier that fits on top of the vehicle and is capable of storing items of various sizes. While these carriers are effective at holding cargo, it is important that the carriers are secured tightly to the top of the vehicle. If the carrier is not secured tightly, the carrier could become loose and either damage the top portion of the vehicle or fall off the vehicle entirely. Such carriers must therefore be tied down to the vehicle in some manner. Some carriers are made of cloth or other pliable material, are collapsible when not in use, and are tied to the vehicle using buckles and straps. Certain carriers use bolts, brackets and the like; these carriers tend to be hand-shelled and, through use of various attachment hardware, are customized to fit to a particular vehicle model. A standard practice for tying down such carriers is to use a length of belting that is stitched to the car-top carrier and run through a railing on the top of the vehicle. The user then buckles the strap to itself and cinches it tight. Although this system is reasonably effective, the free strap end encounters high winds resulting from the vehicle's motion, for example, while traveling over a highway. This causes the free end to flap about, which may cause the buckle to loosen with potentially catastrophic results. The flapping of the free strap end in the wind causes an audible noise which can be heard inside the vehicle. The flapping tendency can also result in chipping or scuffing of the vehicle's exterior surface and eventual fraying and unraveling of the strap.
Additionally, there are other items that are commonly placed on the top of a vehicle that must be securely fastened. These can include sporting goods such as bicycles, kayaks, or snow skis, and can also include larger items such as indoor or outdoor furniture. In each of these cases, it is very important that the items remain securely fastened to the vehicle and that there is no strap material that is left to flap about in the wind. Otherwise the strap could become worn over time, the vehicle's drivers and passengers may be irritated by the noise created by the flapping and the strap could become damaged, along with the top of the vehicle and the items being transported.
Therefore there is a need for a fastening strap that will securely hold items of various sizes to a portion of a moving vehicle and which will be secured against the vehicle and will prevent excess strap material from flapping about while the vehicle is in motion.